This invention relates to electric fence insulators and more particularly to insulators adapted to be used with tape-type electric conductors.
The mounting and support of electric fence conductors and particularly the fence conductors of the tape-type requires that the conductors be held securely in position and are not unintentionally dislodged due to strain placed on the conductor by loads placed on the conductor when engaged by animals or other objects. Also it is important that the insulator used to mount the conductor can absorb directional strains when the location of the fence is in areas where there are variations in the terrain so that the loads imposed are not only axially of the conductor but also radially through a full range from horizontal to vertical.
It is an object of the invention to provide an insulator particularly adapted for securing a tape-type electrical conductor so that the mounting arrangement resists relative movement of the conductor both axially and radially.
It is another object of the invention to provide an electric fence insulator adapted to support tape-type conductors to receive and to detachably release an intermediate portion of the conductor.
Still another object of the invention is the provision of an electric fence insulator, which detachably supports an electric conductor in a manner which resists opening movement except from manual manipulation of the latch mechanism.
The objects of the invention are attained by an insulator for supporting n electric fence conductor on posts of various kinds, which include a body ember with means for mounting the body member to a variety of posts of wood or metal and having various cross-sectional configurations such as rectilinear, T-posts, or round posts. The body member supports a generally V-shaped clamp assembly or mounting structure made up of a pair of legs acting as conductor engaging members connected together at one end for deflection towards each other to engage opposite sides of a tape-type electric fence conductor. The upper end of the legs of the V-shaped member are provided with a latch mechanism that resists both axial and radial movement of the tape and is easily released manually for the purpose of receiving or of removing a conductor.